Damaged Goods
by schizelle
Summary: One life is never enough. Sometimes true love surpasses life. / For Misty.


_There are pink birds. Fucking pink. His eyes would hurt from the shocking candy color if it wasn't already burning raw from holding back his tears. He entwined his fingers with hers, her body fast becoming lifeless and cold._

 _For a brief second, she tightened her hand around his, her eyes silently telling her what she otherwise couldn't say aloud. "Live," she told him, her eyes more expressive than he had ever seen it and he wept._

"It was a dream, darling."

His voice was scratchy as if it hadn't been used enough, "It was more graphic than the last one. There were candy pink birds." He visibly shuddered at the mention of birds. "There were birds and they had pierced your neck and you couldn't speak but you told me to live. I mean, you didn't say it, I could read it in your eyes. Mia, you were dead!"

Henry's voice became frantic and broke on the last note like he couldn't imagine a life without his wife.

"They were so young, Mia. We were so young," he looked broken.

"It was a bad idea." Mia remarked.

He nodded, "Yes, it was."

* * *

The dreams had started after Mia told Henry to visit a psychologist to help him with his fear of birds. After a couple of sessions, he was asked to try past life regression to find the cause of the phobia. He was Haymitch, a tall, lanky lad who didn't look unlike Henry's own self during his teenage years. Except that Henry as a sixteen year old teen lacked that fear, spark of rebellion and the bitterness.

Mia was Maysilee and she was dead. Or at least, she died in front of him—in front of Haymitch. The similarities were astonishing. Blond hair, although Mia wore hers in a no-fuss high pony while Maysilee had hers braided and a long fringe that covered her forehead.

If his dreams were true, then they had found each other again. Henry wished he could tell this to Haymitch. The distraught teen looked like he could do with a bit of hope.

* * *

"Henry, honey, I am going to the studio. Your doctor has scheduled a three o'clock appointment with you."

Henry nodded and kissed his wife goodbye.

"So Henry, what dreams have you been dreaming this past week?"

"I think we were in a meadow? I think that is why I was so adamant about staying as far away from the meadows as possible when Mia booked a house. The entire place was dangerous and birds—she was killed by them."

"So now we know."

Henry nodded although he wasn't sure how the information made a difference.

* * *

Sunsets in Florida were the best. The birds had flown back to their nests and the sky was filled with hues of purple, orange and red. Henry liked it here, it was as far way he would get from the meadows and the beach relaxed him. Evenings were especially better because there were almost no birds in the sky. Mia was talking to his doctor—something about relaxation techniques.

But the beach was enough to relax. Henry closed his eyes and settled down on the sand which was still warm from the heat of the morning sun.

 _Sqwack!_

He froze, fearfully and almost petulantly refusing to acknowledge the sound.

 _SQWACK!_

The sound came again, more insistently. The piping plover looked at him mockingly with its black tipped beak. Henry stayed there, frozen in place, sensing his panic attack which would—

"Hey." Mia softly muttered in his ear, rubbing circles in his back, "We wrote a new song down at the studio, I am going to sing it to you, well, sing it to H-Haymitch."

He knew she still wasn't comfortable with the idea of different lives, but she was trying and for her sake, he would try too. He nodded his consent.

" _I remember tears streaming down your face_ _  
_ _When I said, "I'll never let you go,"_

Her hand rubbed softly against his, the soothing melody calming him.

 _"When all those shadows almost killed your light_ _  
_ _I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone""_

With distinct clarity, Henry could see Maysilee clutching his—Haymitch's hand with all that she had and Haymitch crying. Hot trails of tears crept down his own cheeks as his wife comforted him.

 _"But all that's dead and gone and past tonight_ _  
_ _Just close your eyes_ _  
_ _The sun is going down_ _  
_ _You'll be alright"_

He cried for Haymitch, he cried for Maysilee, he cried for the doomed love and for the happiness they would never know and then stopped, with slow hitching motions, looking at Mia and then at the bird who, he realised, had wounded its wing. _We are damaged goods,_ he thought looking at the bird.

 _"No one can hurt you now_ _  
_ _Come morning light_ _  
_ _You and I'll be safe and sound"_

 _Damaged goods, but now we are safe and sound._

* * *

 **A/N: Song by Taylor Swift, _Safe and Sound_. **


End file.
